Lathe purchase

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samson7x
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Lathe purchase

Post by samson7x »

Is this a good machine? http://littlerock.craigslist.org/tls/5687508446.html

How's the price on it?

Main purpose would be to make baffles and thread barrels.
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mcmaster
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by mcmaster »

I haven't used a combination machine myself, but have heard people say they aren't very good.

I think $1,200 is pretty high too.
cdhknives
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by cdhknives »

Better have a LOT of tooling for that price.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Combo-L ... aign=zPage
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samson7x
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by samson7x »

Ok thanks guys. I'll pass on it.

What's the minimum size I would need for my intended purposes?
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CMV
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by CMV »

Threading rifle or pistol barrels? If rifle barrels, always separate from action?

For your suppressor projects you really just need to decide how much dicking around with complex setups you want to do. You can mostly do everything on a benchtop or mini machine but will have to work around the small spindle bore. G4003G or similar is a nice size for a home shop & hobbyist gunsmithing.
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3strucking
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by 3strucking »

the G4003G is what im looking to purchase. I have found a few machines used in my area that are larger but for the money i think i would rather buy new and give up a few inches.
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by Historian »

3strucking wrote:the G4003G is what im looking to purchase. I have found a few machines used in my area that are larger but for the money i think i would rather buy new and give up a few inches.

+1

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yondering
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by yondering »

3strucking wrote:the G4003G is what im looking to purchase. I have found a few machines used in my area that are larger but for the money i think i would rather buy new and give up a few inches.
I think that would be a mistake, based on my own experience. You give up a lot of capability with smaller lighter machines, and you should be able to find something lightly used for half the cost or less, on a bigger machine.
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CMV
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by CMV »

think that would be a mistake, based on my own experience. You give up a lot of capability with smaller lighter machines, and you should be able to find something lightly used for half the cost or less, on a bigger machine.
G4003G isn't a small machine. Small enough you can fit it into your home shop & move it around by yourself with an engine hoist, but not so small it can't do what larger machines can. Very good size for a hobbyist. Depends on what you're doing, but for the stuff OP is talking about quite capable. Single phase 220V is also a big plus - to me anyway since that meant i could wire it myself.

What larger, lightly used machine would he find for $1600? Any LeBlond, Monarch, Hardinge, Southbend, etc in decent shape (not brand new) will be considerably more unless he just happens to live somewhere with an abundance of used machine tools.
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John_TX
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by John_TX »

I have the 4003G Grizzly lathe and it's a good machine, zero regrets buying it. The only limitation I've discovered is with the steady rest - it won't hold 1.75" stock. There is a YouTube video of a guy that modified the roller shafts to increase the capacity that I need to do to mine.

This lathe weighs almost 1,000 pounds - I used my Kubota tractor to move it and I was right at the bucket's 1k pounds capacity.
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yondering
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by yondering »

CMV wrote:
think that would be a mistake, based on my own experience. You give up a lot of capability with smaller lighter machines, and you should be able to find something lightly used for half the cost or less, on a bigger machine.
G4003G isn't a small machine. Small enough you can fit it into your home shop & move it around by yourself with an engine hoist, but not so small it can't do what larger machines can. Very good size for a hobbyist. Depends on what you're doing, but for the stuff OP is talking about quite capable. Single phase 220V is also a big plus - to me anyway since that meant i could wire it myself.

What larger, lightly used machine would he find for $1600? Any LeBlond, Monarch, Hardinge, Southbend, etc in decent shape (not brand new) will be considerably more unless he just happens to live somewhere with an abundance of used machine tools.
You're right, that 12" Grizzly will be fine. I should have looked up the part number; it sounded like he was inclined to go for a new mini lathe instead of a used larger machine.
samson7x
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by samson7x »

CMV wrote:Threading rifle or pistol barrels? If rifle barrels, always separate from action?

For your suppressor projects you really just need to decide how much dicking around with complex setups you want to do. You can mostly do everything on a benchtop or mini machine but will have to work around the small spindle bore. G4003G or similar is a nice size for a home shop & hobbyist gunsmithing.

Well both, and I can separate from the action to make it easier. I do not want to spend 3k on a machine and do not have that kind of shop space. I also no absolutely nothing about running a lathe and will be self taught. I may totally suck at it and don't want to have 3k tied up into a machine. My budget is around $1000, but if I can do those things with a smaller machine then that's the route I would go.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/7-X-14- ... aign=zPage

What advantages would this offer me over the 7x14? Would it be worth it to me to spend 2x as much for my intended purposes?

http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-16- ... aign=zPage
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John_TX
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by John_TX »

Those are pretty small machines but I imagine fairly capable within certain limitations. I would join or at least look around the Hobby Machinist forum - those guys might have some good advice for you. You really don't want to spend $1k on a lathe and be disappointed with its limitations. My Griz 4003G is my first lathe and I'm mostly self taught except for a few hours of my buddy giving me some OJT.
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bakerjw
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Re: Lathe purchase

Post by bakerjw »

There are 2 solid rules regarding lathes....

1 - Get the largest that you can afford.

2 - You will spend as much on tooling as you do the machine.

My first lathe was a Craftsman (Atlas) 12x36. It was a lighter machine and I wish that I'd have kept it. Once I realized that I needed something stockier, I picked up a Hendy 12"x36" monster of a machine and an Induma mill for $2500.

Be patient and keep looking.
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